Sliding panel and mounting



Jan. 5, 1954 I J w, GREK; 2,664,598

SLIDING PANEL AND MOUNTING Filed NOV. 14. 1949 JHMES W. ski/6 Patented Jan. 5, 1954 Woodall- Industries, 1110., Detroit, Mich., acorporation of Michigan Application November 14, 1949; Serial No. 126,983

2" Claims:

This invention relates to' improvements in sliding" panels or' more particularly to an improved mounting for sliding panels; doors" and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved mounting for asliding panel which mountingwill supportthepanel for free; easy. and quiet slidable" movement while at the sametime-it will hold thepanelsecu'relyagainstrattle;'

undesirableplamor displacement. v v H Another object'of the invention" is to provide such a-mountingfor asliding panel'which' mounting will accommodate the panel assembly to openings: that difi'er in size within certain limits; and

will support the panel" for satisfactory sliding" movement Within any of said 'openingsof differ ent size",- all within the permitted-range" of vari-' ation.

A further object is: to" providesuch a mounting which is. simple; relatively inexpensive-capable of being. quickly and easily attached to a panel and: when appliedto a panelfli's ihconspicuous and is of such a. character-" that i-t' may be applied" to; panels of different size and weightan'd such panels will functionsatisfactorily with the mount-- ing. Another objectkisto provide at mounting including trackwaymembers 'capable'of being m'ul-' tiplied to support a plurality off panels of any desired number for sliding movement.

A: meritorious feature -is that the is-soconstructed that it-functions*during sliding movement of the paneltoke'ep thetrackwayclear and-prevent the accumulation of obstructing-ma terial therein.

The.-mountin'g 'is iiot only adapted to hold the panel yieldingly securely upon the trackway against d'isplaceirient-while permitting free; sliding movement-thereof;but"is'also. adapted to hold the panel. positively against. displacement if the yielding force is overcome. I a

' Other objects, advantages andf meritorious features willmore fully 'appear'ficin the following description, claimsand" accompanying drawing, wherein: a

Fig. 1 is a ivertical sectional vielw"partly: broken away through a'slidin'g"door"assembly embodyii s inv j n.

Fig. 2naverucaiseeuonsi view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig; 6 is a'v'ertical' sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2; and

, Fig. 7 is a'schematic View showing upper and lower trackway members adapted to accommo-' date a nest of four sliomg panels. 7 This improved mounting is shown associated with sliding'panels of the general character illustrated in co-pending application, Serial No. 64,371,'now abandoned, nledDecember 9', 1948, which application belongsto the'assignee of this application, but the mounting is adapted to be used' upon any suitable sliding panel or door structure; In the panel assembly of the application above'identiiied, the panel comprises a sheet of panel forming material provided with upright e'oges reinforced by tubular frame elements extending therealong and secured thereto. Panel sheets are described as formed of masonite or 7 other suitable material. The reinforcing tubular 20" frame elements are described as split steel tubes extending along. and grippingly engaged with the marginal portions of the sheets.

In this application the numeral [0 indicates a sheet of panel forming material broken away for purposesof illustration and having secured to an upright edge portion a split metal tube I2. The

tube It" is so formed andso fastened to the panel sheet [0 as described in said application supra.v that the entire assembly possesses substantial strength and stability for the purpose intended.

The instant application relates to the mounting not to" the panel or support for such panel and itself. I

Upperand lower trackways are provided for the slidabletravel of a panel or such'number' of panels as may be desired. Fig. 1 shows two upper traekways or parallel channel portions [4, each having-a rail. [6' extending along the bottom oftheehannel between the side walls l3 thereof. Fig; 7. four such trackways areshown.

The number of tracks may-be multiplied, as shown in" Fig, 7,;to provide'any desired number.

The lower trackway of Fig: 1' comprises a pair of similar parallel spaced apart rails l8, each forming partsofa; threshold'member 20and e30 tending lengthwise along and within channel In Fig-.-- 7-,

portions ofsaid threshold member. four such similar parallel rails I8 are the threshold elements shown.

The panel mounting comprises upper and lower guide assemblies here shown in the form of rollers adapted to travel over the trackways.

The lower roller assembly comprises a roller 22 journalled upon an axle 24 between a pair of illustrated, 20 being multiplied as frame plate 26-. The corner of the panel is cut away as at 28 to provide a recess to receive the roller. The frame plates 26 extend upwardly over opposite sides of the panel, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and are secured thereto by rivets 39 or the like. The roller 22 is grooved circumferential- 1y to seat snugly over a rail I8, as shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 3. The upper roller assembly comprises a roller 32 journalled upon an axle 34 between a pair of frame plates 38, as shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 2. The corner of the panel is cut away as at 3'! to provide a recess to receive the upper roller assembly. These upper roller frame plates 36 are of similar angular shape. Each plate exhibits a lateral legportion 38. The two legs 38 carry the axle 34 upon which the roller 32 is mounted. These legs 88 are journalled upon a pivot pin :39 Which extends through and is mounted upon the panel !8 as shown particularly in Fig. 2. Each plate also exhibits a depending leg portion 42. The two legs 42 depend below the roller 32 and. are connected by a pin 44. The pin 46 is adapted to rest upon the upper end of a coil spring 46. The lower end of this spring bears against the bottom of the recess 37 in the panel and is positioned by a lug 48 which projects upwardly from the bottom of the recess.

The spring 45 exerts yielding upward force tending to hold the roller 32 securely upon the rail I8 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. At the same time this spring pressure serves to urge the panel downwardly and hold the lower roller 22 upon its rail 18. The yielding force of the spring is sumcient to hold the panel against ordinary accidental displacement while permitting free and easy slidable movement of the panel over and between the rails 16 and 18.

Due to the angular shape of the upper roller frame plates 38 and the manner in which they are assembled and mounted, they will swing a limited distance to accommodate the panel assembly to openings which vary within certain limits in height while continuing to function to maintain the panel against rattle and permit slidable movement thereof.

The frame plates 36 project upwardly above the roller 32 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so as to overlap th rail It. The lower frame plates 26 project downwardly below the roller 22, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so as to overlap the rail it. Such D overlap provides positive stops to prevent the rollers from jumping the rails even if the holding pressure of the spring 42 was overcome. Such overlap of the frame plates extending into the passageway alongside of the rails l6 and i8 serves to remove foul material which might collect therein and interfere with the free travel of the panel. a

It is, of course, understood that these upper and lower roller assemblies might be provided in such number as desired for each sliding panel. Presumably, an assembly would be provided for each corner of th panel. come substantially within the thickness of the panel upon which they are mounted so that the panels occupy a minimum thickness and they may function individually in a multiple nest of panels.

The roller assemblies It has been found that by providing nylon rollers, smooth, quiet operation is assured beyond that achieved by bronze or other metal rollers.

In Fig. 7 the threshold members 20 are duplicated in the assembly. The upper trackway members 14 are added to by providing supplemental trackway members 15, each equipped with a rail 16 as shown.

What I claim is:

1. A sliding door comprising, in combination, a substantially rectangular upright panel having one upper corner notched out, a split tube extending along that upright margin of the panel terminating in the notch and with the margin of the panel disposed within the tube and the tube secured to the panel and extending upwardly across the notch, a roller assembly comprising a pair of complementary frame plates having two legs, a roller journalled between said plates, one leg of the frame plates pivoted at the end remote from the other leg to the panel adjacent to the top margin thereof and spaced inwardly of said notch, said frame plates extending horizontally across the notch and through the split in the tube and with said other leg disposed within the upper end of the tube, and a coil spring housed within the upper end portion of the tube seated at one end against a part of the notched out portion of the panel and bearing at the other end against said other leg of the frame plates urging the roller upwardly with respect to the panel and the tube.

2. A sliding door comprising, in combination, a substantially rectangular upright panel having one upper corner notched out, a split tube extending along that upright margin of the panel terminating in the notch and with the margin of the panel disposed within the tube and the tube secured to the panel and extending upwardly across the notch, a roller assembly comprising a pair of complementary frame plates having two legs, a roller journalled between said plates at the meeting point of the two legs, one leg of the frame plates pivoted at the end remote from the other leg to the panel adjacent to the top margin thereof with the two complementary frame plates disposed on opposite sides of the panel, said frame plates extending across the notch and through the split in the tube and with the other leg disposed within the tube, and spring means housed within the tube between said other leg and a portion of the notched out part of the panel to urge the roller upwardly with respect to the tube and the panel.

JAMES W. GREIG.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 87,329 Deering Mar. 2, 1869 90,193 Prudhomme et al. May 18, 1869 162,930 Knapp May 4, 1875 554,932 Jaeger Feb. 18, 1896 952,120 Kilner Mar. 15, 1910 1,780,755 Kurtzon Nov. 4, 1930 2,434,805 Lange Jan. 20, 1948 2,507,497 Bowers May 16, 1950 

